Human intervertebral disc cells promote nerve growth over substrata of human intervertebral disc aggrecan

Study Design. Coculture assays of the migration and interaction of human intervertebral disc cells and chick sensory nerves on alternate substrata of collagen and aggrecan. Objective. To examine the effects of aggrecan on disc cell migration, how disc cells and sensory nerves interact, and whether disc cells affect previously reported inhibitory effects of aggrecan on sensory nerve growth. Summary of Background Data. Human intervertebral disc aggrecan is inhibitory to sensory nerve growth in vitro, suggesting that a loss of aggrecan from the disc may have a role in the increased innervation seen in disc degeneration. Endothelial cells that appear to co-migrate with nerves into degenerated intervertebral disc express neurotrophic factors, but the effects of disc cells on nerve growth are not known. Methods. Human disc cells were seeded onto tissue culture plates that had been coated with type I collagen and human intervertebral disc aggrecan. Explants of chick dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) were subsequently added to the plates and sensory neurite outgrowth stimulated by the addition of nerve growth factor. Time-lapse video and fluorescence microscopy were used to examine the migration and interaction of the disc cells and sensory neurites, in the context of the different matrix substrata. The effects of disc cell conditioned medium on nerve growth were also examined. Results. Disc cells spread and migrated on collagen until they encountered the aggrecan substrata, where some cells, but not all, were repelled. In coculture, DRG neurites extended onto the collagen/disc cells until they encountered the aggrecan, where, like the disc cells, many were repelled. However, in the presence of disc cells, some neurites were able to cross onto this normally inhibitory substratum. The number of neurite crossings onto aggrecan correlated significantly with the number of disc cells present on the aggrecan. In control experiments using DRG alone, all extending neurites were repelled at the collagen/aggrecan border. Conditioned medium from disc cell cultures stimulated DRG neurite outgrowth on collagen but did not increase neurite crossing onto aggrecan substrata. Conclusions. Human disc cells migrate across aggrecan substrata that are repellent to sensory DRG neurites. Disc cells synthesize neurotrophic factors in vitro that promote neurite outgrowth. Furthermore, the presence of disc cells in coculture with DRG partially abrogates the inhibitory effects of aggrecan on nerve growth. These findings have important implications for the regulation of nerve growth into the intervertebral disc, but whether disc cells promote nerve growth in vivo remains to be determined.

Human intervertebral disc aggrecan inhibits endothelial cell adhesion and cell migration in vitro

STUDY DESIGN: The effect of human intervertebral disc aggrecan on endothelial cell growth was examined using cell culture assays. OBJECTIVE: To determine the response of endothelial cells to human intervertebral disc aggrecan, and whether the amount and type of aggrecan present in the intervertebral disc may be implicated in disc vascularization. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Intervertebral disc degeneration has been associated with a loss of proteoglycan, and the ingrowth of blood vessels and nerves. Neovascularization is a common feature also of disc herniation. Intervertebral disc aggrecan is inhibitory to sensory nerve growth, but the effects of disc aggrecan on endothelial cell growth are not known. METHODS: Aggrecan monomers were isolated separately from the anulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus of human lumbar intervertebral discs, and characterized to determine the amount and type of sulfated glycosaminoglycan side chains present. The effects of these aggrecan isolates on the cellular adhesion and migration of the human endothelial cell lines, HMEC-1 and EAhy-926, were examined in vitro. RESULTS: Homogenous substrata of disc aggrecan inhibited endothelial cell adhesion and cell spreading in a concentration dependent manner. In substrata choice assays, endothelial cells seeded onto collagen type I migrated over the collagen until they encountered substrata of disc aggrecan, where they either stopped migrating, retreated onto the collagen, or, more commonly, changed direction to align along the collagen-aggrecan border. The inhibitory effect of aggrecan on endothelial cell migration was concentration dependent, and reduced by enzymatic treatment of the aggrecan monomers with a combination of chondroitinase ABC and keratinase/keratinase II. Anulus fibrosus aggrecan was more inhibitory to endothelial cell adhesion than nucleus pulposus aggrecan. However, this difference did not relate to the extent to which the different aggrecan isolates were charged, as determined by colorimetric assay with 1,9-dimethylmethylene blue, or to marked differences in the distribution of chondroitin sulfated and keratan sulfated side chains. CONCLUSIONS: Human intervertebral disc aggrecan is inhibitory to endothelial cell migration, and this inhibitory effect appears to depend, in part, on the presence of glycosaminoglycan side chains on the aggrecan monomer.

Diabetes and contact lens wear

The literature suggests that diabetic patients may have altered tear chemistry and tear secretion as well as structural and functional changes to the corneal epithelium, endothelium and nerves. These factors, together with a reported increased incidence of corneal infection, suggest that diabetic patients may be particularly susceptible to developing ocular complications during contact lens wear. Reports of contact lens-induced complications in diabetic patients do exist, although a number of these reports concern patients with advanced diabetic eye disease using lenses on an extended wear basis. Over the past decade or so, there have been published studies documenting the response of the diabetic eye to more modern contact lens modalities. The results of these studies suggest that contact lenses can be a viable mode of refractive correction for diabetic patients. Furthermore, new research suggests that the measurement of tear glucose concentration could, in future, be used to monitor metabolic control non-invasively in diabetic patients. This could be carried out using contact lenses manufactured from hydrogel polymers embedded with glucose-sensing agents or nanoscale digital electronic technology. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the anterior ocular manifestations of diabetes, particularly that pertaining to contact lens wear. © 2012 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Optometry © 2012 Optometrists Association Australia.

Fiber Scaffolds of Poly (glycerol-dodecanedioate) and its Derivative via Electrospinning for Neural Tissue Engineering

Peripheral nerves have demonstrated the ability to bridge gaps of up to 6 mm. Peripheral Nerve System injury sites beyond this range need autograft or allograft surgery. Central Nerve System cells do not allow spontaneous regeneration due to the intrinsic environmental inhibition. Although stem cell therapy seems to be a promising approach towards nerve repair, it is essential to use the distinct three-dimensional architecture of a cell scaffold with proper biomolecule embedding in order to ensure that the local environment can be controlled well enough for growth and survival. Many approaches have been developed for the fabrication of 3D scaffolds, and more recently, fiber-based scaffolds produced via the electrospinning have been garnering increasing interest, as it offers the opportunity for control over fiber composition, as well as fiber mesh porosity using a relatively simple experimental setup. All these attributes make electrospun fibers a new class of promising scaffolds for neural tissue engineering. Therefore, the purpose of this doctoral study is to investigate the use of the novel material PGD and its derivative PGDF for obtaining fiber scaffolds using the electrospinning. The performance of these scaffolds, combined with neural lineage cells derived from ESCs, was evaluated by the dissolvability test, Raman spectroscopy, cell viability assay, real time PCR, Immunocytochemistry, extracellular electrophysiology, etc. The newly designed collector makes it possible to easily obtain fibers with adequate length and integrity. The utilization of a solvent like ethanol and water for electrospinning of fibrous scaffolds provides a potentially less toxic and more biocompatible fabrication method. Cell viability testing demonstrated that the addition of gelatin leads to significant improvement of cell proliferation on the scaffolds. Both real time PCR and Immunocytochemistry analysis indicated that motor neuron differentiation was achieved through the high motor neuron gene expression using the metabolites approach. The addition of Fumaric acid into fiber scaffolds further promoted the differentiation. Based on the results, this newly fabricated electrospun fiber scaffold, combined with neural lineage cells, provides a potential alternate strategy for nerve injury repair.

Morfometria dos forames mandibular, mentual e infraorbital de Lobo-guará Chrysocyon brachyurus, Illiger, 1815 aplicada a bloqueios anestésicos

CHAPTER II - The Chrysocyon brachyurus is the biggest South American canid which has a high frequency of dental injuries, both in wild and captivity. Thus, veterinary procedures are necessary to preserve the feeding capacity of hundreds of captive specimens worldwide. The aim of this study was to study the mandibular morphometry of maned wolf with emphasis on the establishment of anatomic references to the anesthetic blockage of the inferior alveolar and mental nerves. Therefore, 15 measurements in 22 hemimandibles of C. brachyurus adults were taken. For extra-oral technique of blockage of the inferior alveolar nerve at the level of the mandibular foramen, it is stated that the needle should be advanced, close to the medial surface of the mandibular ramus, by 11.4 mm perpendiculary from the palpable concavity. Alternatively, the needle can be introduced for 30.4 mm from the angular process at 20-25 degrees angle with the ventral margin. For blocking only the mentual nerve, it is recommended the introduction of needle for 10 mm, close to the lateral aspect of the mandibular body, at the level of the lower first premolar. The mandibular foramen showed similars position, size and symmetry in the maned wolfs specimens examined. The comparison of the data with those available for other carnivores reflects the necessity for determining these anatomical references specifically for each species.

Reconstrucción mínimamente invasiva de la banda oblicua distal. Estudio anatómico

La radioulnar distal es una articulación diartrodial trocoide compuesta por la escotadura sigmoidea del radio y la cabeza ulnar. Su estabilidad depende de la integridad de diversas estructuras como son el complejo fibrocartílago triangular o CFCT, el músculo pronador cuadrado y el músculo extensor ulnar del carpo y la porción distal de la membrana interósea (MIO), fundamentalmente la banda oblicua distal, en los casos en los que se encuentra presente. La banda oblicua distal (BOD) es una estructura independiente de la porción membranosa distal de la membrana interósea la cual ha sido descrita en un 40% de los individuos. Se origina en 1/6 distal de la diáfisis ulnar y se inserta en el borde inferior de la escotadura sigmoidea. Algunas fibras se extienden más distalmente, pareciendo mantener continuidad con los ligamentos radioulnares dorsal y palmar, lo que ha hecho pensar en su función como estabilizador de la articulación radioulnar distal. A su vez, su inserción ulnar coincide con el eje de rotación del antebrazo, experimentando así pocos cambios durante la pronosupinación, comportándose de forma isométrica. El CFCT es el estabilizador primario de la articulación, y en situaciones normales la influencia de la porción distal de la membrana interósea es insustancial. Sin embargo, tras una lesión del fibrocartílago triangular o una resección de la cabeza ulnar, es cuando adquiere un papel fundamental...

Origem do plexo lombossacral e seus nervos em quatis (Nasua nasua, LINNAEUS, 1766)

The objective of this research is to study the origin of the lumbosacral plexus and its nerves in coatis (Nasua nasua). Six adult specimens, three males and three females, were used in this research. The animals were donated by IBAMA / GO or were collected when found dead by the edges of highways in Southeast Goiás. The specimens were fixed in aqueous 10% formaldehyde solution and preserved in the same solution. The observations reveal that the lumbosacral plexus of the coati has a structure with few intercommunications between its components. There are no typical handle formations, but the roots or its branches converge to form the nerves that are driven to the pelvic limb. The components of the Lumbosacral Plexus are ventral branches of L4 to S3. The Lumbosacral plexus generates several short nerves destined to pelvic structures and, at the same time, three long nerves: femoral, obturator and sciatic, all destined to the hind limb.

Pupillary shapes in response to electrical stimulation of the sclera of peripheral cornea in cats and porcines

Purpose: We have reported that the changes in the pupillary shape in response to electrical stimulation of the branches of the ciliary nerves in cats. (Miyagawa et al. PLoS One, 2014). This study investigates the changes in the pupillary shapes in response to electrical stimulations of the sclera of peripheral cornea in cats and porcines. Methods: Two enucleated eyes of two cats and three enucleated porcine eyes were studied. Trains of biphasic pulses (current, 3 mA; duration, 2 ms/phase; frequency, 40 Hz) were applied using a tungsten electrode (0.3mm diameter). The stimulation was performed at every 45 degree over the entire circular region on the sclera near the cornea. The pupillary images were recorded before and 4 s (cat) and 10 s (pig) after the stimulation and the change in the pupil diameter (Δr) was quantified. The pupillary images were obtained with a custom-built compact wavefront aberrometer (Uday et al. J Cataract Refract Surg, 2013). Results: In a cat eye, the pupil was dilated by the electrical stimulation at six out of eight orientations (before stimulation pupil diameter r=10.10±0.49 mm, Δr=0.33±0.12 mm). The pupil dilated only toward the electrode (relative eccentricity of the pupil center to the pupil diameter change amount rdec=1.15±0.28). In the porcine eyes, the pupils were constricted by the electrical stimulations at the temporal and nasal orientations (r=10.04±0.57 mm, Δr=1.52±0.70 mm). The pupils contracted symmetrically (rdec=0.30±0.12). Conclusions: With electrical stimulation in the sclera of the peripheral cornea, asymmetric mydriasis in cat eyes and symmetrical miosis in porcine eyes were observed. Under the assumption that the electrical stimulation stimulated both muscles that contribute to the pupil control, our hypothesis proposed here is that the pupil dilator is stronger than the pupil sphincter in cat, and pupil sphincter is stronger than pupil dilator in porcine.

Accommodative response to electrical stimulation of the sclera of peripheral cornea in cats and porcines

Purpose: We have reported that the changes in the accommodative response to electrical stimulation of the branches of the ciliary nerves in cats. (Miyagawa et al, PLoS One, 2014). We have also reported that no robust accommodative responses to the electrical stimulations of the sclera of peripheral cornea (SSPC) were observed in enucleated porcine eyes (Mihashi et al, VPOptics, 2014). In this study, accommodative responses to SSPC stimulation in cats and porcines were investigated. Methods: Two eyes of two cats under anesthesia and after they were sacrificed were studied. Three enucleated porcine eyes obtained from a local slaughterhouse were also studied. Trains of biphasic pulses (current, 3 mA; duration, 2 ms/phase; frequency, 40 Hz) were applied using a tungsten electrode (0.3mm diameter) from several orientations. Wavefront sensing with a compact wavefront aberrometer (Uday et al J Cataract Refract Surg, 2013) were performed before and 4 s (cat) and 10 s (pig) after the stimulations and wavefront aberrations including spherical errors were analyzed over a 4-mm pupil area. Results: In the first cat under anesthesia, at three out of seven stimulus positions, 0.2 D hyperopic accommodative responses were observed and in two orientations, myopic responses were observed. For the other cat, weak accommodative responses including astigmatic changes were observed. In the sacrificed condition of the second cat, 0.1 D myopic response was observed for one stimulus orientation and the smaller responses were observed at six out of eight stimulus positions. No accommodative responses were elicited for the enucleated porcine eyes. Conclusions: In the anesthetized cats, electrical stimulation of the SSPC induced accommodative responses; the responses were unstable and weaker than the responses by the ciliary nerve stimulations we observed in our previous study. Small accommodative responses were observed after one of two cats had been sacrificed, but no accommodative responses were detected in the enucleated porcine eyes. Further studies are needed to confirm difference in the accommodation functions in the two species.

Avaliação das capacitações de Hanseníase: enfermeiros opinião de médicos e enfermeiros das equipes de saúde da família

MORENO,Cléa Maria da Costa,ENDERS,Bertha Cruz, SIMPSON, Clélia Albino. Avaliação das capacitações de Hanseníase: enfermeiros opinião de médicos e enfermeiros das equipes de saúde da família. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, Brasília, v.61,n.esp.p. 671-5.2008.

Acidentes por quedas em um grupo específico de idosos

Este estudo objetivou conhecer a incidência do evento queda e identificar a presença de seus principais fatores de risco. Estudo exploratório, realizado de março a novembro/2009, com aplicação de um formulário sobre quedas em um grupo de idosos. Os dados foram analisados por cálculo de frequências, média e desvio-padrão. Participaram 62 idosos, 41,9% relataram queda nos últimos seis meses, a maioria mulheres. Identificou-se ocorrência de agravos concomitantes: visão regular, audição boa, polifarmácia, IMC normal, forte força de preensão palmar e condições dos pés adequadas. Na maioria dos que caiu, o desequilíbrio foi apontado como principal motivo. A queda ocorreu mais no período da manhã, em local de piso áspero e seco, sem degraus, rampas ou tapetes, iluminação adequada e o tipo de calçado mais utilizado foi chinelo de borracha. Percebe-se a alta ocorrência das quedas na população idosa, fato que fundamenta a necessidade de avaliação das condições de risco envolvidas

The diencephalic syndrome in infants: A review in relation to optic nerve glioma

A study of the diencephalic syndrome in cases so far collected from the literature was carried out on the clinical, macroscopic and histological brain findings found recorded in, respectively, 29, 25 and 34 cases. For comparison, 3 further cases with this syn- drome were described, in which a diagnosis of optic nerve glioma could be made. The review of the 39 cases with the diencephalic syndrome has shown that in 90°/o of these patients an extensive glioma of the 3rd ventricle had been present. 70% of these patients had additional glioma of optic nerves and/or chiasm with an equal amount of infants having diminished visual acuity in one or both eyes. From these, so far unreported, findings, strong suggestive evidence was thus presented that the ‘diencephalic syndrome’ described in infants was indeed a mor¬bid entity, namely, a hypothalamo-optic glioma. The further question whether this brain tumour was a primary optic nerve rather than a primary diencephalic glioma could presently not be firmly answered from the reviewed data of the literature. © 1972 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Prosthetic carotid bypass graft for in-stent restenosis performed for post-endarterectomy recurrent stenosis: technical details

Aim. Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is the treatment of choice for recurrent stenosis after carotid endarterectomy (CEA). However a significative incidence of in-stent restenosis could be occurred. Despite classical CEA leads to good results, in selective cases bypass graft may be the best treatment of in-stent restenosis. Case reports. We describe two cases of carotid bypass graft performed to treat a recurrent in-stent stenosis after CAS for post-CEA restenosis. No death and cardiac complication occurred and no cranial nerves impairment was detected. Conclusion. Prosthetic bypass graft is safe and effective in treatment of in-stent recurrent restenosis after CEA restenosis.

Ulnar artery aneurysm: case report and review of the literature

Aim. We report a case of ulnar and palmar arch artery aneurysm in a 77 years old man without history of any occupational or recreational trauma, vasculitis, infections or congenital anatomic abnormalities. We also performed a computed search of literature in PUBMED using the keywords “ulnar artery aneurysm” and “palmar arch aneurysm”. Case report. A 77 years old male patient was admitted to hospital with a pulsing mass at distal right ulnar artery and deep palmar arch; at ultrasound and CT examination a saccular aneurysm of 35 millimeters at right ulnar artery and a 15 millimeters dilatation at deep palmar arch were detected. He was asymptomatic for distal embolization and pain. In local anesthesia ulnar artery and deep palmar arch dilatations were resected. Reconstruction of vessels was performed through an end-to-end microvascular repair. Histological examination confirmed the absence of vasculitis and collagenopaties. In postoperative period there were no clinical signs of peripheral ischemia, Allen’s test and ultrasound examination were normal. At follow-up of six months, the patient was still asymptomatic with a normal Allen test, no signs of distal digital ischemia and patency of treated vessel with normal flow at duplex ultrasound. Conclusion. True spontaneous aneurysms of ulnar artery and palmar arch are rare and can be successfully treated with resection and microvascular reconstruction.